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June 06, 2003 at 08:00 PM
NU Online News Service, June 6, 2003, 5:31 p.m. EDT — Washington
Private insurers would have a major role in providing a new Medicare prescription drug benefit under a bipartisan agreement announced yesterday.
Under the plan, all Medicare beneficiaries, whether they enroll in the traditional fee-for-service plan or the managed care plan, would have the option of purchasing a subsidized prescription drug benefit offered by private health plans.
Specifically, beneficiaries who enroll in the managed care plan (currently called Medicare plus Choice but to be renamed Medicare Advantage) would be able to purchase integrated benefit packages that include prescription drugs.
Those in the fee-for-service plan would be able to purchase separate drug coverage from private plans.
The premium for the coverage would be $35 per month. Following a $275 deductible, the new coverage would pay half of all prescription drug expenses up to $3,450 annually.
